Don’t privatize Horace Nye

I would like to take a few minutes to let people know a little about the Horace Nye Home. Our dedicated staff takes wonderful care our 100 residents. We work long hours, and we work hard to make sure every one of our residents is safe and happy.

I have been employed there for almost 3 1/2 years, and in that time I have grown to love our residents and my job. It’s hard work, very stressful at times. Mentally and physically demanding, but I am there to take care of them, not because I have to, but because I choose to. Most of our residents are Medicaid/Medicare.

The county now wants to sell or lease our home because its a financial burden. Well, I think it’s time to look at other financial burdens. There is a lot that the county can cut back on, but getting rid of the only home these people have is morally wrong.

Our residents have paid taxes all their lives to make sure they were taken care of when it was time they could no longer take care of themselves. We have residents who served our country, ones who owned businesses and let the public charge food until they could pay or pay a very little amount on purchases until it was paid off. We have hard working taxpayers who live with us who deserve to be treated better than a dollar sign.

It’s time to step up and support our nursing home. Do the right thing and support the only home these residents have now and to all future residents who will need to be taken care of. Just think, if the county privatizes, that means less staff, less money and workers won’t have the time to take care of them the way we do now. We won’t have enough staff. Going private will only mean hurting the residents care and quality of life. And what will happen to the thousands of people who can’t self pay in the future or now for that matter?

We have a county nursing home to take care of the people who paid for it all their lives, not to make a profit. Let the county find other ways to cut costs, because there are many!